Field of Application
This invention relates to packages and boxes; and more particularly, to packages and boxes which are pre-wrapped or self-wrapped.
Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable when giving a gift or present to have the item boxed or otherwise placed in a distinctive package other than the normal packaging provided for the item. Some items, especially items of clothing or other wearing apparel, quite often are not even offered with any form of packaging but are merely placed in a bag when sold.
Presenting a gift item or present in a box enhances the presentation and is often regarded by the recipient as one further thought and act demonstrating that the person cared. However, most boxes provided by stores, especially department stores, are in an established or recognized store color and/or design. While they are distinctive and, at times, better than just putting the item in a bag, they often do not in and of themselves make an aesthetically pleasing gift presentation.
The gift giver may want to present the gift not only boxed but also distinctively wrapped in a particular colored paper which might be their favorite color or one of the favorite colors of the person receiving the gift. The gift may be for a special occasion such as a birthday, shower, wedding anniversary or the like and it may be the desire of the gift giver that the box be wrapped in a gift-wrap indicating the occasion. The gift may otherwise be being made at a particular time of the year such as Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day or similar holidays and the gift giver may want the box gift wrapped to reflect that situation.
Many stores will not only provide a gift box free with a purchase but they may also provide gift wrap paper (foil, etc.) free as well. Whether the gift wrap is free or is purchased from wide selections of available gift wrappings still requires for many that the item be properly boxed and thereafter gift-wrapped so as to present a hand gift-wrapped appearance. Unfortunately, a great many people lack either the ability, the know-how or the time to wrap a boxed item so as to present a hand gift-wrapped appearance.
Here again stores, department stores, and available services are available to gift-wrap presents. At time the service is free and at other times there is a nominal charge when the gift-wrapping is accomplished at the store where the item of merchandise is purchased. But for many occasions, especially during the holiday periods such as Christmas, Valentines Day and the like the gift-wrap counter may be, and often is backed up because hand gift-wrapping is a time consuming chore. The over-wrap paper, foil, etc., must be selected, cut to approximate size, aligned with the boxed item and thereafter wrapped about the box with the ends of the wrap closed and sealed so as to present that desired "hand gift-wrapped" appearance.
Merchants have made efforts to bypass or avoid the time, expense and aggravation of hand gift-wrapping by providing decorative packaging which does not require hand attention. However, packages such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,207,567 to Warner and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,126 granted on Apr. 24, 1973 to G. M. Donahue for Decorative Carton With Removable Band And Blank Therefor fail to meet the hand gift-wrapped appearance test.
Other attempts have been made to provide pre-wrapped or self-wrapped boxes. However, those which are fabricated as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,611 granted on June 24, 1969 to L. Adams Jr. for Prewrap Carton For High-Speed Erection require the overwrap to be affixed to the carton end-flaps and, as such present a relatively bulky appearance as opposed to a hand gift-wrapped appearance for the end flaps. In addition, the prescribed attachment or binding of the wrap to the container along many areas and lines detracts from a desired "loose wrap" appearance for a simulated hand gift-wrapped package. Packaging of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,005 granted on Aug. 13, 1974 to R. A. Hackenberg, et al for Folding Container With Folding Closure Ends also secure the overwrap to the box at too many locations and too extensively while further resulting in a wrapped package with relatively bulky looking end closures because the overwrap must by disposed both on top and beneath end closure members. In addition, the wrapping procedure dictates boxes with specially cut end closures which add to cost and diminish available boxes for use as pre-wrapped boxes. Overwrapped packaging such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,814 granted on Feb. 1, 1977 to T. W. Foster for Carton With Integral Overwrap requires a box or carton construction with slits and tabs to effect container closure. The resulting container end flaps are, as for previously described prior art containers, so interfoled with the overwrap as to present a relatively bulky and not hand gift-wrapped appearance and the person effecting the final wrapping is in no way guided by the container closing sequence into the container wrapping sequence.